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Blue Jays teammates saddened by Reyes trade: 'We lose a guy that brought a lot of energy'

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Jose Reyes has been gone less than 24 hours, and his now-former Toronto Blue Jays teammates are already feeling the loss.

"Letting go one great teammate, great player, someone I consider part of my family now, to welcome some new faces into the club," Jose Bautista told John Lott of the National Post. "It’s part of the business. I’ve been around long enough to experience a few of these. It’s tough letting some people go, but it’s always good to get great players back."

Reyes was traded to the Colorado Rockies late Monday night along with a trio of prospects for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and pitcher LaTroy Hawkins.

The 32-year-old Reyes - who thanked his supporters in Toronto - was surprised by the trade, which left him emotionally stunned, according to Edwin Encarnacion, one of his best friends.

"I went to his house and stayed there a couple of hours talking," Encarnacion said. "He’s one of my best friends. I felt like I wanted to go there and give him support because I know the way he’s feeling.

"He feels sad because he wasn’t (ready) for this. It’s different when you’re waiting, you’ve heard (something) and you prepare your mind. Getting surprised like he was, it’s going to be difficult, but he’s going to adjust."

Reyes, who was in his third full season with the Blue Jays, was hitting .285/.322/.385 with 16 stolen bases prior to the trade, but was a clubhouse favorite with a glowing personality that kept his teammates' spirits high.

"We lose a guy that brought a lot of energy, was very special on the basepaths in particular, and was a really good friend and brought a lot of chemistry to the clubhouse," pitcher R.A. Dickey said. "So you are losing something, you are. Looking back you’ll be able to tell if it was worth it, what you’re losing. Wherever Jose goes he's going to make that team better."

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